What is Comprehensive Sexuality Education?
Comprehensive sexuality education is a lifelong process of acquiring information and forming attitudes, beliefs, and values. It encompasses sexual development, sexual and reproductive health, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, and gender roles.
By definition, 'comprehensive' includes information about abstinence and information about the correct and consistent use of condoms and contraceptive. Comprehensive, science-based sexuality education is always age and developmentally appropriate, and does not define the individual by her or his sexual activity or lack thereof. Rather,it focuses on medically accurate information about sexual health and wellness, void of moralistic or judgmental language.
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The value and effectiveness of most programs is based on how relevant the curriculum is to the students it serves - there is no 'one size fits all' program. Additionally, school districts have local control and flexibility about which curricula they implement in sex ed or any subject. The Alliance and member organizations encourage school districts to choose science-based comprehensive programs, that are free of shame and judgment, that best meet the needs of their students.
For more information about evidence-based and promising comprehensive sexuality education programs that work, please visit Advocates for Youth.
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Organizations that support abstinence-only-until-marriage programs portray sexuality education as a controversial issue. Yet, all evidence suggests that comprehensive sexuality education is a mainstream American value. A vast majority of Americans support comprehensive sexuality education—medically accurate, age-appropriate education that includes information about both abstinence and contraception—and believe young people should be given information about how to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
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When discussing the sexuality education young people receive, many people refer to two distinct schools of thought: comprehensive sexuality education and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. In reality, however, most schools in the United States teach programs that fall somewhere between the two ends of the spectrum and programs are often called by a variety of different names.
The following terms and definitions provide a basic understanding of the types of sexuality education programs that are currently offered in schools and communities. Remember, however, that names can be deceiving. It is important to look past labels and find out what young people in your community really are, or are not, learning in their sexuality education programs.
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Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Sexuality education programs that start in kindergarten and continue through 12th grade. These programs include age-appropriate, medically accurate information on a broad set of topics related to sexuality including human development, relationships, decision-making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention. They provide students with opportunities for developing skills as well as learning information.
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Abstinence-based: Programs that emphasize the benefits of abstinence. These programs also include information about sexual behavior other than intercourse as well as contraception and disease-prevention methods. These programs are also referred to as abstinence-plus or abstinence-centered.
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Abstinence-only: Programs that emphasize abstinence from all sexual behaviors. These programs do not include information about contraception or disease-prevention methods.
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Abstinence-only-until-marriage: Programs that emphasize abstinence from all sexual behaviors outside of marriage. If contraception or disease-prevention methods are discussed, these programs typically emphasize failure rates. In addition, they often present marriage as the only morally correct context for sexual activity.
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Fear-based: Abstinence-only and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that are designed to control young people’s sexual behavior by instilling fear, shame, and guilt. These programs rely on negative messages about sexuality, distort information about condoms and STDs, and promote biases based on gender, sexual orientation, marriage, family structure, and pregnancy options.
To find out more about what your son or daughter are learning in their school, contact your student's principal, the school district Health Curriculum Director, or your local school board.
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